He Was Inside
by foreverfinchel6
Summary: Rachel's gone. Without a trace. When Finn hear's of her kidnapping, he's completely distraught. What lengths will he go to to rescue her? Story's a lot better than it sounds, I promise! Rated T because it might be sort of violent.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't like long author's notes, so I'll keep it short. This is my first FanFic ever! I really hope you all enjoy this! Reviews would mean the world to me! Read on!**

**Chapter 1: Before It Happened **

"C'mon, you just got here."

"I have to go, Finn. They'll start to worry."

"Five more minutes," he pleaded.

"Ugh, you're so convincing," she said with a smile playing at the corner of her lips. Rachel leaned in and pressed her lips to his. The kiss was slow, but it was building. It was in these small, stolen moments that she truly believed Finn loved her as much as he said he did. Finn relished in his small victory and kissed her through his smile.

"Now I really have to go," she gently teased.

"Fine. Am I at least allowed to drive you home?"

"Well I suppose it would be rude if I refused, now wouldn't it?" she said poking him in the ribs gently. Finn smiled at her and intertwined his fingers with hers. He opened the passenger side door for her and gently helped her in. He then proceeded to get in the drivers side. The drive home was quiet in peaceful. It was about mid-december. The weather was unreal. It was far below freezing almost twenty four hours a day. As he pulled into her driveway he started to open his car door.

"Don't," she chided him gently. "It's fine, I can walk myself in..." Before saying her goodbye, they stared into each other's eyes for a gentle moment. They both knew it was silly to be so distraught over a goodbye, they would see each other within a few hours, but they couldn't help it. A moment apart was a moment too many. Rachel was the first to break the silence.

"I love you," she told him honestly. Finn leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"I love you so much more than you know." He said with a smile. Rachel then reluctantly tore her eyes away from Finn's. "Bye," she whispered softly. Finn watched her until she had shut the door tight behind her. He stayed for a moment more before he pulled out and started the drive home.

Once Rachel was inside, she gently removed her cardigan and placed it on the coat hanger. Smiling to herself, she turned the corner and fumbled along the wall in search of the light switch. Before she found it, a hard, rough hand covered her mouth. She felt a cold, hard gun barrel press into her temple.

"Don't. Move." He whispered harshly. His hand was replaced by a damp cloth over her mouth.

Then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: SOO? Thoughts on chapter 1? I hope you all enjoyed it! Please review, I really do want to hear all of your comments! Read on!**

Rachel's fathers called the Hudson-Hummel home at about 2:00 AM, two hours after her curfew. There had been no sign of Rachel. As soon as Finn heard this, he took to the streets. He looked and looked for her for several hours. When he returned home, he picked up the phone to call the police.

"Finn, sweetie, stop. There's nothing they can do until she's been missing for twenty-four hours. They won't even look at the case," Mrs. Hudson said in an ill-fated attempt to calm him down.

"But that's not fair mom!" he exclaimed, "Rachel doesn't do this kind of stuff! You know that! You know that just as much as I do mom but-"

"Finn. Finn stop. Calm down," she tried. Mrs. Hudson gently placed her hands on his shoulders. Much to her surprise, he actually stopped and listened to her.

"It's okay. We can call them at midnight tomorrow. Not a moment later. I'm sure Rachel's fine, she's probably just out at a party or something. The only thing you can do is wait."

_Without calling? Wouldn't she have said something to me about it? I love her and all, but honestly she doesn't have that many friends. _All of these questions swirled throughout Finn's head, but he could tell arguing with his mother was pointless.

"Okay," he reluctantly gave in. Without another word, he turned and went upstairs to his room. _Where are you? Please come home. _That's all that was in his head. He didn't bother to shower or even change his clothes. He knew sleep was not even a possibility tonight. As he lay there he ran through scenario after scenario of what Rachel could be going through. He came up with some that weren't at all bad. She was simply at a party, or she had gotten stuck in awful traffic and her phone had died. He prayed it was one of those, although he knew how unlikely it was. He wasn't that lucky. He had other scenarios too. Ones that made him want to throw up. He couldn't even bring himself to think what he would do if someone had taken her. His mind began to dwell on that situation alone. His stomach hurt to think about how afraid she must be right now. How much he wanted to hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay. He wanted her safe.

Before he realized it, the sun rose and began to shine through his window. He jumped out of bed and decided to look for her again. He walked straight past his mom, and before she could say anything, he was out the door. He searched all over. He drove until it was dark, ignoring phone call after phone call from his mother, step-father, and step brother. Frustrated, he pulled over and finally picked up his phone.

"Finn," his mother breathed in relief. "Finn come home please. It's almost nine. Her father's called, they want to file a report at the police station with us."

"Okay," he sighed, "I'm on my way home."

**A/N2: Sorry this one was so short, this chapter is just more of a transition chapter. Trust me, this chapter really is necessary. Maybe it was just me, but I thought the end was a little dragged out. Sorry about that. Hope you all enjoyed it. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay this one was a little hard to write. **

Rachel woke up to a harsh throbbing in her head. For a moment, she was confused as to her whereabouts, but then it all came flooding back to her. It was pitch black. She tried to stand, but was stopped by a sharp pain that shot through her left leg. With a groan, she sat back down. With shaking hands, she tentatively touched her leg, and winced as her hand came away wet with the blood pooling around her leg. Her head was reeling. She turned and felt her way to the nearest wall. Inching across the floor, she reached the corner. She pulled her knees up to her chest and attempted to slow her breathing. Finn. She wanted Finn more than she had ever wanted anyone in her entire life. She wanted him to hold her in his strong arms and tell her that she was safe again. She wanted him to help her forget all that had happened to her within the past 24 hours. _Pull yourself together, Berry. You have to find yourself a way out of here. Get up. _she thought to herself. Again, she tried to stand. The pain she felt in her leg was like no other pain she had ever felt before. Teeth clenched, she forced herself to stand straight, but her victory was short lived. Her knees gave way seconds later. Her head slammed hard into the ground. She didn't bother trying to get up again. She pulled herself over to her corner again and began to cry. _I want to go home. I want my room, my house, my bed. I want it all. I want this to be over. _Her tears fell continuously now. Her own thoughts were interrupted by footsteps approaching her cell. Light flooded the room as the door flew open. Her body instantly stiffened and she leaned deeper into her corner, but it didn't matter. There was no where to go.

Her kidnapper stood in the doorway for a few moments, watching her. After what felt like forever, he stepped in the room and shut the door behind him. Now Rachel had no idea where her attacker was. Terrified, she began to beg.

"Please! Please, I don't know what you want, but my parents will give you anything, please! Leave me alone, let me go!" She hated the way her voice shook while addressing him. Her tears began to flow again. She had never experienced this much fear in her entire life.

"Rachel, Rachel!" he teased. "Who said I wanted something? No, no, no, you silly, misinformed girl. I took you for much different reasons, but thats not what I'm here to discuss." Rachel suddenly felt his warm breath on her face and she cringed. She hadn't realized he was so close to her. She whimpered brokenly. A smile spread across his face, and Rachel could see the bright gleam of his teeth. He laughed darkly and stepped away from her.

Still smiling, Rachel watched him pull something out of his pocket. She couldn't exactly make out what it was he held in his hand. He backed up and sat down in a chair Rachel hadn't seen before. The room suddenly became devastatingly quiet. The chair then squeaked as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. He pulled a lighter out of his pocket and let the small flame show. With the dim light, he pulled lighter to the object in his hand. Rachel sucked in her breath as she saw the light dance of the blade of the knife.

"Now it's not the most traditional way, but it's a lot more fun, now isn't it?" He winked at the girl in the corner. Rachel only trembled harder as he stood. He slowly began to cover the few yards in between them.

"No. Please, please, please... Please. D-don't do this," she pleaded. "Whatever it is you want or need! They'll give it to you. Please." The last word was just a whisper. There were only inches in between them now. He stood above her and looked down at her longingly. He let the flat part of the blade rest against Rachel's throat. She sobbed silently, the tears streaming down her face with no sign of slowing.

"Again," he commanded.

"What?" she mumbled.

"Say it. Again." He pressed the side of the blade harder against her neck.

"Please. Please don't" she begged. _I love you, Finn. I love you, I love you, I love you, _she thought.

Much to her surprise, the pressure disappeared from her throat. His smile disappeared as he stood. Before he left the room, he dug his heel hard into the gash on her leg. Rachel screamed out in pain. The man remained emotionless.

"Not yet," he growled as he stalked out of the room.

**A/N: I really wasn't expecting it to get this intense, but here we are. I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

"5'2?" The man questioned.

"Yeah, um... yeah," Finn stammered. He didn't want to be here. Well that wasn't true. He didn't want to HAVE to be here. He wanted this situation to never have happened. He wanted the confidence of knowing that Rachel was safe in her bed right now.

"You watched her walk in, correct?" the police officer questioned.

"Yes. She shut the door behind her and everything was fine," Finn answered in a monotone voice.

"Alright. Well, Mr. and Mrs. Hummel, Mr. Hummel, Mr. Hudson. We'll do all we can do to find her. We don't have many leads so far. We will, however, launch a full investigation, we can put out an amber alert, but there's not much more we can do." With a slight nod, he handed Finn his card. "We'll call you if there is any advance in Miss Berry's case."

"Thank you," Finn answered honestly. He had to tell them. If the glee club found out on there own... Well he didn't exactly know what would happen then. He just knew it was something they all needed to hear in person. It would be too late to tell the tomorrow. They had to know now. Mrs. Hudson-Hummel slowly stood up and made her way to the car followed by her husband and then Kurt. Just as he was about to walk out the door, Kurt turned around,

"You coming?" he asked dryly.

"I have to tell them," was Finn's response. "Tell mom I'll be home later. I'm... I have to make a few stops first." Kurt nodded slowly.

"Call me if you need anything."

Finn left the police station a few minutes later. He had met them at the police station, so he entered his own car. He sat there for a few minutes, thinking of who he should tell first. After giving the topic a lot of thought, he finally decided Quinn deserved to know first. She would be able to keep a secret until he got to the rest of them. Begrudgingly, Finn began the drive over to Quinn's house. How would he tell her? How would she react? Before he knew it, he found himself on Quinn's front porch. Two other cars were there. He instantly recognized them as Sam and Santana's car. He was okay with that. Two less times he would have to say the words.

He slowly knocked on the door.

Quinn opened the door within a few seconds with a smile on her face. Her smile fell as soon as she actually looked at Finn's face. She saw the desperation in his eyes, the deep, dark circles under his eyes that made him look so much older. He looked like he hadn't eaten in days, his face was a pale gray.

"Finn," was all she could say.

"Can we talk for a minute? Sam and Santana too." Quinn nodded and stepped aside for Finn to enter. Quinn shut the door behind him and led him to the living room. She called out for Sam and Santana. As he sat down, Quinn sat down next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"What is it?" she whispered quietly. Sam and Santana sat down without asking any questions, for they could see the concern in Finn's eyes as well.

"Um... well this is really hard to say. I have no idea how to say this exactly. But, um, Rachel's gone missing. We haven't seen her for two days." He paused. "The police don't have any leads, but I wanted you guys to hear it from me." With that, he stopped and watch each of their faces individually as the news sunk in. Sam remained emotionless. Santana closed her eyes and drew in a shaky breath. Quinn's eyes instantly flooded with tears that did not spill over.

"Missing," she repeated nodding her head. "Um. Wow. I don't exactly know how to respond to that." The silence between them was almost painful. Santana was the first to act. She got up and hugged Finn. The small action was so touching to him. Before he realized it, he broke down and sobbed onto her shoulder. They stayed that way for a long time.

"I just want her home," he whispered. A moment later, he pulled away and asked them not to say anything until he got to the others. They all agreed and watched in silence as he left.

That scene replayed several times throughout the night until they all knew. By the end of that night, he was exhausted. His eyes were red and puffy. Telling them was a lot harder than he thought it would be. He missed Rachel so much. He wanted her here next to him. A thousand thoughts swirled throughout his head. He decided to switch on the TV. The first thing he saw was Rachel's face plastered on his screen. The anchorman advised people to report any possible sightings of this girl to the police as soon as possible. Almost as soon as he had switched it on, he switched it off again. He laid back on his bed and let his tears fall free. He cried alone in his room for several hours before finally drifting off to sleep.

**A/N: Sorry for the end getting a little choppy. This was however, quite necessary to the plot line. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A:N/ This chapter is entitled "Cold." Although it's just a word, this chapter was actually inspired by the song Cold by Aqualung and Lucy Shwartz. Okay, read on! Hope you enjoy it. :) (I forgot to do this earlier but: Disclaimer: I don't nor will I ever own Glee. If I did, things we would be a lot different.** **:(**

Rachel watched the door shut behind her attacker. As tears streamed down her face, she tentatively touched the wound on her shoulder. It hurt so much. She recoiled back even deeper into her corner.

-2 DAYS LATER-

Thirsty. Hungry. Rachel hadn't had any form of nutrition in four days. She could feel herself slipping away into some form of delirium. Away from reality, away from herself. The only reason she wasn't completely gone was Finn. He was always at the front of her mind. Thinking of him now brought fresh tears to her eyes. She was so terrified. She sucked in a raspy breath and winced in pain. She was almost positive she had several broken ribs. She would have made the same assumption even if she felt no pain because of all the bruising. Movement was almost impossible because of her injuries and how weak she was, but that didn't stop her kidnapper from dragging her out of her cell and forcing her to work. She cleaned the floors, the stairs, everything. She cooked for him, washed his sheets. Laying there now, she wondered idly what would be her next task and winced at the thought of how much pain it most definitely cause her. She hadn't lost hope yet though. She knew they were looking for her, or so her attacker had told her one day. With no small amount of effort, she shifted slightly from the position she had been in for the past several hours. Rachel was utterly and completely exhausted. She hadn't slept in four days either. She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes even though she knew sleep was not an option. Her one moment of repose was disrupted by the door flying open. Since her eyes were so sensitive from being kept in the dark 24/7, the dim light seeping in seemed blinding to Rachel.

"C'mon," he growled. Rachel struggled against his grasp but she was so weak that her attempts were futile. She managed to wriggle her way out of his grasp, but that only stopped him for a moment. He instead grabbed her other shoulder which Rachel had self-diagnosed as dislocated. Screaming, she gave in. The man had to practically drag her out of her cell.

"W-where are we going?" she stammered. The man didn't answer. Before long, they stopped at a large metal door that looked like a door to vault. The man threw Rachel on the ground so that he could wrench open the massive door. As soon as the door was open, Rachel instantly started to back away from the cold air that leaked out of the room. It took a moment for it to click, but she eventually realized it was a freezer. One of those large, walk-in ones like in a restaurant. He grabbed her shoulder again and threw her in the freezer. She yelped at the sensation of the cold, metal floor against her skin. He followed her in and shut the door behind him. When he reached Rachel, he grabbed a handful of her hair and dragged her back towards the back of the freezer. There, two U-shaped poles stuck out of the wall, each with a pair of handcuffs hanging from them. He attached Rachel's wrists to each of the poles far too tightly.

"So you see," he answered stepping back. "I don't have any use of you any more. Therefore, I have to find a way to dispose of you. And since I, sadly, have somewhere to be, this method to be far more efficient. Rachel was shivering so hard right now, every movement making the pain she felt throughout intensify.

"Must admit, it was nice having you around." he said calmly with a hint of a grin on his face. Opening the door again, he grabbed two large buckets, one in each hand. He walked towards the shivering girl in the corner and emptied the bucket on Rachel. The coldest water she had ever felt poured over her entire body, drenching her. She screamed from the utter shock of his action. He did the same thing over again and she yelled out again. Her body shook so hard. He then sauntered out of the room. Rachel thought he was done, but he still had one thing left to do. He came back with a syringe full of a thick, foggy liquid. He stabbed the needle into her thigh with all his strength. Rachel groaned as she felt the needle enter her flesh. Smiling at her directly, he pushed down the plunger as he winked at her. He drew the needle out and tossed in the farthermost corner of the room. He walked out of the room and before closing the door, he turned and looked at Rachel.

"Nice knowing you, sweetie."

**A:N/ Okay, that was a total cliffhanger :) But fear not, I plan on posting the next chapter later on tonight. Please review! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**A:N/ Okay this chapter is REALLY REALLY short! But this is really more of a transition that HAS to happen! I will try my hardest to post the second chapter tonight! REEAAAD!**

Finn heard at 3 in the morning. The phone rang. He had gotten his hopes raised far too many times, so he didn't run for the phone this time. Only when he heard his mother's tone did he pull himself out of his comatose.

"Thank you," she answered. She turned around and was startled by the sight of her son standing only a few feet away.

"What is it?" he asked desperately. His mom was silent for a few moments. "Mom! What is it?" he tried again.

"They have a lead. Someone reported a sighting of a girl who matched the description the police put out. They've already sent 7 police cars to go check it out," she said in a whisper. Finn stood there, trying with all his might to not let his hopes get higher than they should be. They had _seen _her. _Or they thought they saw her _he reminded himself.

"When can we go? I want to see her if - when they find her," he corrected himself.

"They said they would call us if there was if there was any news at all." She immediately saw his dissent on his face. "Honey, there's nothing we can do but wait. They'll call us as soon as they can." He seemed to calm down ever so slightly. However, every nerve in his body was still on end. He paced around the house for several hours until the phone finally rang. He got to the phone first.

"Hello?"

**A:N/ Okay, another cliffhanger, I know, I would be annoyed with me too. :) Again, I will try my hardest to get the next chapter posted tonight. Sorry about this one being so short, they will start to grow in length, I promise. Please review! **


	7. Chapter 7

She could feel it spreading. After a few moments, she knew what he had injected her with would not kill her. She felt its effect almost immediately after she was injected. Her body felt so heavy. Her vision blurred, the sound of her teeth chattering dulled. The injection was numbing her senses, numbing her entire body. Slowly, very slowly, she began to lose all feeling throughout her body. She could still feel the breaking that came from inside her on each shiver, but she couldn't feel the world around her. Her thoughts began to slow. Breathing started to become harder and harder for her. Her lungs felt full of sandpaper, each breath became painful. Then, without notice, the pain that came from within her doubled. She felt so much pain that it made it harder to breathe. This was it. This was the end. By now, her thoughts were almost nonexistent, both from the liquid injected into her and bloodstream, and simply because her body was shutting down from the cold. Somehow, with the last bit of her strength, she pulled Finn's face in to view. She knew the tears would only make living even harder, but it gave her a sense of comfort. She was so cold. She wanted Finn to hold her and kiss away all the pain she felt without him. Just before her vision became one, big blur, she saw the water that had been poured on her beginning to freeze. As she lay there, she began to feel so tired. More tired than she had ever felt in her life. Some, wild part of her still wanted to live. That small part screamed at her to stay awake. She was so terrified at this point that all she wanted to do was sleep to escape the fear. She couldn't even pull Finn's face into view which scared her most of all. She had lost. One part of her breathed a sigh of relief that it was finally over. The pain was excruciating, but it was almost over. All her senses were almost completely dead, except for her hearing. She could still here some. Not much, but some. The last thing she remembered was a dull thud over and over again against the large door. _It's not going to work, _she thought vacantly. _I appreciate the effort though. _That was her last thought. All her senses closed. She was still breathing, but barely. Rachel was too far gone to notice at this point, but the police, firemen, and EMT's had managed to break the door down. It didn't take them long to notice Rachel's beaten, battered, bruised, and bloody body resting in the corner. They all stared at her in dismay for a quick moment before one of the EMT's bent down and gently placed two finger's to the inside of Rachel's neck and pressed her ear close to Rachel's lips.

"She's alive," she breathed in a sigh of relief. "Barely, but she's still here." The EMT's set to work. They released Rachel's hands from the handcuffs, they put her on a stretcher and wrapped seven blankets around the shivering girl. They put restraints on her in an attempt to slow her shivering. Who knows how much worse she had made her injuries simply from shivering. Once on the ambulance, they took in Rachel's condition. Obviously, one of their biggest concerns was her inner body temperature. It had dropped well below the normal, at a shocking 88.4. They were amazed that this poor creature was still alive. The paramedics attached an I.V. into Rachel's arm in some attempt to revive her. Suddenly, the machine monitoring Rachel's breathing flatlined.

"Tom!" the female paramedic called out to her partner. The woman's partner was there within seconds, attaching a device to Rachel's lips and manually forcing air into her lungs. She was dying. After a few seconds, the only part of Rachel's body that was working on its own was her heart, but even that was fading. She was deteriorating so quickly. They eventually arrived at the hospital. Three doctors and several nurses were waiting outside the hospital doors. When the paramedics had the stretcher off of the ambulance, the nurses rushed Rachel back to one of the trauma rooms that had been prepared for her. One of the nurses continued to breathe for Rachel. Even though they were still concerned with her body temperature, their main goal was was to stabilize her. That proved to be no easy task. It took them four hours to get her into stable condition. Well, as stable as she could be in such a situation. She was still in the I.C.U., machines were still breathing for her and keeping her alive. After she remained in a stable state for 2 hours, they started treating her extensive injuries. Her body was so broken, they weren't even sure if she could be repaired. They worked on her for seven hours. Although she was still filthy and malnourished, her injuries were cared for. They knew if she woke up, she would be in an extensive amount of pain, so they always made sure they kept pain medication handy. Rachel's body temperature was still well below normal, it was now 90.3 degrees. Rising, but still too cold. She was under three electric blankets and several hot water bottles were placed throughout her bed, but it still wasn't enough. Now, all of this was the least of their concerns. What was really worrying them was what was coursing through her veins. Statistically, her vitals were weak, but they were still strong enough for her to be conscious. Whatever her kidnapper had injected her with was still keeping her in a medically induced coma. The doctors took a blood test and discovered what exactly was in her bloodstream. There was only one way to flush it out of her system, but it was extremely risky. Whatever they did, they had to do it soon. She couldn't survive like this much longer.

**A:N/ Okay, I really know close to nothing about medical procedures or anything of that sort. Sorry for inaccuracies which I'm sure ran rampant throughout this chapter. But anyway, Rachel's alive! Yaaay! I'm almost positive I can get chapter 8 up tonight, but I still may not be able to, for a lot must happen in that one. Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

He was thrilled when he heard those three little words: _we found her._ Before the man on the phone could get in another word, Finn asked when she would be home. The words that followed crushed Finn's hopes almost as soon as they had been raised. As soon as he ended the phone call, he raced out the front door and got in his car. His mother followed and got in the car, too, without asking questions. Finn drove faster than he had ever driven entering the hospital doors, he recognized the police officer who had been working specifically on Rachel's case. When Rachel's police officer laid eyes on Finn, he walked towards him and placed a hand on Finn's chest.

"Mr. Hudson-

"I need to see her," Finn interrupted.

"Mr. Hudson, I'm sorry, but there are no-"

"I don't care! I have to see her!" Finn began to move around the man, but he was to fast and strong; he had Finn's arms pinned behind his back in an instant.

**"**I need to see her! I need to see her! She needs me! Please! She needs me..." he begged. "Please, please, please..." he whispered. Finn broke down and let his tears fall freely. His mother walked over and laid a hand on the police officer's shoulder. The man released Finn almost instantly. Mrs. Hudson led her son over to the waiting room chairs and pulled him into her arms. Once he calmed down, anxiety replaced the deep grief he felt in his stomach. He started to pace the room. When that didn't help calm his nerves, he sat back down and started biting his nail beds raw. He felt like he was going to explode. It had been almost eight hours and he head heard no word on Rachel's condition whatsoever. His mother had left to get something to eat, and she admonished him to do the same, but he refused. He didn't want to miss any news from the doctors. After what seemed like an eternity, a doctor walked into the waiting room and called out Rachel's name. Finn stood up and approached the man standing in the doorway.

"Are you here for Rachel Berry?" the doctor questioned.

"Yes. How is she? Is she okay? Can I see her? What happened?" he asked in a slur of questions.

"She's alive. I can't give you much more than that, but she is alive. On the way here she stopped breathing, and we are still currently breathing for her. Her injuries are pretty extensive, but again, she's alive." The doctor then gave Finn the complete list of Rachel's injuries. By the end of the list, he felt faint and he was digging his nails into his hands so hard that blood began to seep out of them. He sucked in a sharp breath when the doctor told him the reason for her extremely dangerous body temperature. The doctor finished and waited for Finn to respond.

'W-what are you going to do about the... the chemi-...what he injected her with?" he stammered.

"Well... we have a plan as to that. We can't take her off of it cold turkey because this substance has an effect on the body that causes it to start to shut down. Breathing becomes harder, heart rate increases to a dangerously fast pace..." He stopped listing possible outcomes when he saw Finn's face. Clearing his throat, he continued. "But, like I said earlier, we do have a plan. We want to slowly wean her off of it, and as we remove some of it, flush out that vein with fluids."

"How do you plan on getting it out of her?" Finn wondered.

"Well, like I said, it has a way of making the body shut down. And like all medications, it does ware off eventually. So, currently, she is on an I.V. of the same chemical her kidnapper injected her with." That part of it seem sort of backwards to Finn, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

"When do we start?" he asked.

"Well, there are some preparations that must be made before we begin, but hopefully within the next several hours. She's stable now and she should be fine until then."

"When can I see her?" Finn demanded. This caused the doctor to pause. After studying Finn for several moments, he sighed and said, "She's unconscious, but you can go in and see her now."

"Thank you," Finn breathed, nodding his head. The doctor dipped his head in return and walked away. Finn sat there for a few moments more before taking a deep breath and standing up. On the back wall of the waiting room was a whiteboard listing all the patient's names and room numbers. He saw Rachel's name and let his eyes drift across to her room number. Room 307. He gathered his courage again and left the waiting room. Walking towards her room, he could feel some emotion he didn't have a name for building inside of him. He finally settled on excitement. _298, 299, 300. _He just wanted to see her and stroke her face and kiss her forehead and tell her how much he loved her again. _304, 305, 306. 307._ He had cringed just slightly when he saw the I.C.U. ward sign in front of the section Rachel was recovering in. He stopped and looked at Rachel's door a moment longer. He sucked in another breath and, however shaky it was, it succeeded to calm him down. Slightly. He wiped his hands on his pants. Finn closed his eyes as he twisted the door knob.

He pushed the door open.

**A:N/ Okay, so definitely not my best chapter. I feel like it was sort of choppy. Sorry about that. Anyway, so I guess this is a semi-cliff hanger. Again, sorry. :) But I hope you all liked it! Unfortunately, I don't think I can update again tonight :( I will, however, post much more tomorrow. And I promise it will be very gooey and adorable :) EVERYONE WATCH GLEE TOMORROW! Okay, ily all! Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A:N/ Sorry for not updating earlier! This chapter seemed to have a mind of it's own. But, after much editing and rewriting, it's done. Enjoy!**

When he first laid eyes on her, his heart stopped beating for half a second. There were just so many _machines. _He could feel the tears threatening to spill over. Vacantly, he realized that there were several nurses watching him, but he didn't care. He slowly took a step towards her, trying to remember how to breathe. Before he knew it, he was at Rachel's bedside. Finn pulled a chair that was in the corner closer to her. Gently, he picked up her hand and brought it to his lips.

"Hi, Rach." he whispered. He was crying hard now. He tentatively placed his lips against her forehead. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..." he sobbed. He looked up and stared down at Rachel's face. A part of him was ecstatic. She was here and she was safe. But another, much larger part of him screamed with grief and anger. If he thought about why she was laying in this bed, fighting for her life, he felt like he was going to be sick. Finn looked at Rachel's hand in his and realized how cold it was. Only then did he register just how hard she was shivering. Instinctively, he pulled the blankets tighter around her shoulders. Finn sat there with her for a few minutes, mentally going over her list of injuries. When he got to her face, he saw how filthy she was. Because he knew Rachel better than anyone else, he knew that would upset her more than anything. He left momentarily and he returned with two damp rags. Carefully, he attempted to wipe the grime off of her face. The nurses monitoring Rachel were touched by Finn's actions. They could see how much he loved her. One of the nurses rested her hand on Finn's shoulder.

"Sweetie, we're planning on starting the process of flushing out her system in a few hours. She'll need you when she wakes up. Why don't you go get yourself something to eat and we'll get her all cleaned up for you?" She saw the hesitation in Finn's eyes and stopped him before he could protest. "Don't worry, I promise we'll take good care of her." Finn nodded his head in assent. Before he left, he ducked his head and pressed his lips to Rachel's forehead.

Finn eventually found the cafeteria. he hadn't realized how hungry he actually was until he caught the scent of the food wafting out of the cafeteria doors. He scarfed down his meal and sat there, unsure of what to do next. After giving it some thought, he decided to call the glee club. He unlocked his phone and saw that it was around three in the morning. He decided they wouldn't mind him waking them up, if they were even sleeping at all. Since Rachel's disappearance, none of them had been getting much sleep. He called Mercedes first. If anyone new how to spread news, it was her. He was so exhausted, he didn't want to have to tell everyone just how bad she was over and over again. The phone rang once before Mercedes answered.

"Anything, Finn?"

"Yeah, actually. They, uh... they found her." It took a minute before the news sunk in for Mercedes. When she finally did respond to the news, Finn was surprised at how calm she was remaining.

"Is-is she okay?" She stuttered.

"Well, she's alive. Not much more than that though," he said, replaying the doctor's words. "She's in really bad shape. But she's safe. Look, there's a lot they have to do before she's really out of the woods. I'm just really tired and they're going to start working on her soon and... Would you mind telling the other's for me? Please? Tell them to call me if they must."

"Of course," Mercedes answered. "Let me know when we can come to see her."

"Okay. Thank you so much."

"Absolutely." The phone went dead. He tried to rub the sleep from his eyes before standing up and walking back to Rachel's room.

As he entered the room, he watched the nurses pull the blanket up Rachel's shoulders. She smelled like soap and shampoo. It was so comforting to Finn. She was perfectly clean; her hair was washed, brushed, and it had been braided in one braid tightly down her back. She looked so much better. He also noticed that the sheets on her bed were crisp, clean, and new. He was so thankful for all these nurses had done simply to make Rachel comfortable. He knew they didn't have to do that.

"Thank you. Really, I mean it. Thanks," he said to the nurse closest to him. The nurses smiled sweetly and nodded her head.

Finn sat with Rachel for what seemed like ten minutes, but in reality was about two hours. She was still shivering like crazy. He took both her hands in his and tried to warm them. Just then, the doctor that had talked to Finn entered the room. He ducked his head at Finn and began his work. He quickly checked all of Rachel's vitals. Then, he addressed Finn.

"We're ready to start. Now before we start this, I just want you to understand the process we have to go through in order for this to work. It's going to take quite some time, but that doesn't matter. We're going to lower the amount of the substance he injected her with very slowly, and as we do that, replace what we took out with fluids. Now, when we do this, her body is going to start to... panic I suppose you could call it. Breathing will be really hard for her, her body temperature will drop, heart rate will speed up. But, eventually, her body will adjust and calm down. When that happens, we can take more out of her. When we're done, we think she will probably regain consciousness almost immediately. However, we don't know exactly how she'll react towards us. She could be completely calm, or utterly terrified, which is where you come in. Hopefully, you'll be able to convince her that she's safe and that we're only here to help her." Surprisingly, Finn understood it all. It terrified him, but he understood it.

"Okay," he sighed. "Let's start."

**A:N2/ Okay, when I say it this time, I promise I actually WILL update later today! Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A:N/ I am so sorry it took me so long to update! (Four days isn't long is it?) In any case, I am sorry to keep you all waiting. So here's chapter 10. I'm pretty proud of it. But I'm also EXTREMELY excited for Chapter 11! It's already in the works, so it should be up relatively soon. Enjoy!**

The doctor brought another bag of fluids, but this one was clear. The one currently being pumped into Rachel was thick and foggy. The foggy liquid was already in an I.V. drip in Rachel's right arm, so the doctor attached the other bag to her left arm. Even though the bag was dripping into the tube, Finn could tell none was being pumped into her body yet. The doctor took a deep breath and turned the knob slightly on the tube dispensing the foggy liquid. Finn noticed that the doctor had written the letter A on that knob and letter B on the other knob. Quickly after the doctor slowed the flow of liquid "A," he allowed a small amount of fluids enter Rachel's bloodstream. The effect was almost immediate. Rachel's body shook harder than it ever had before; it was terrifying to watch. The heart monitor raced. Her heart rate was up to about 120 beats per minute. Finn simply held her hand and stroked her hair. He leaned in and kept his lips close to her ear. He told her that she was okay and safe and that he was right next to her over and over again. Things stayed the same for what seemed like an eternity. Really, it was only about two minutes until Rachel's body adjusted and calmed down. Finn sighed with relief.

This went on for about three hours until there was almost none of the foggy liquid being pumped into Rachel's body. The doctor alerted Finn that this would be the last time he would lower the amount and after her body calmed down, she should wake up. He reminded Finn that it was completely possible for her to wake up in utter panic. Slowly, the doctor lowered the knob that controlled the foggy liquid to zero and bumped up the fluids about ten notches. You could here a pin drop in the room as they waited for her body to calm down. Suddenly, Rachel's eyelids began to flutter. Groggily, she opened them. She began to take in her surrounding for a few seconds.

Then the screaming started.

It started slowly, she began to hyperventilate. Before the other people in the room knew what was happening, she was inching her way up the bed, until she was almost completely sitting up. She laid eyes on the doctor and began to beg.

"Please, please! Leave me alone, please!" she cried. She was sobbing hard now. The doctor walked towards her and laid a hand on her shoulder. Big mistake. Rachel screamed and jerked away from him. "Don't touch me! Get away from me!" The doctors were alarmed by her actions. They knew if she kept moving as hard as she was, she would only injure herself more. The nurses and the doctor began to attach restraints to Rachel's wrists and ankles. This only caused her to scream and struggle harder, but the restraints did their job. Once they had her secured, the nurses stepped away from her. Rachel gave in and laid their crying. Finn still stood in the corner in complete shock. A nurse tried to guide him out of the room, but that was all it took to wake him up. He struggled against the nurses grip on his arm and broke free quickly. Before he could get to Rachel's bedside, the doctor stepped in front of him and had Finn out of the room in an instant.

"You said I could see her!" Finn screamed. He guessed one of the nurses had tried to approach Rachel because her heard her screams emitting from behind the closed door.

"Mr. Hudson, we need to get her stable before you can talk to her."

"And how do you plan on doing that! She won't let you get within five feet of her! Please. I can calm her down. Please, just... just let me see her." The doctor stared Finn down for a moment, but then decided to let him in, against his better judgement. Finn looked through the window and saw that Rachel had her eyes squeezed shut against her fear. He turned and opened the door. Rachel's eyes opened at the sound of his entrance. It took her a moment, but when she finally realized that it was really him and that she wasn't imagining it this time, she sobbed even harder. "Finn," she squeaked. Finn ran to her and wrapped his arms around her, which was no easy task considering the restraints. "Where am I? Help me, Finn. Please, just don't leave me..." she said between sobs.

"Hey, hey its okay... Shhh... I'm here, it's okay."

"Will you hold me?" she asked shyly. Without answering, Finn began to release the restraints. The doctor put a hand on Finn's shoulder to stop him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rachel flinch at the man's approach. Finn looked back at the doctor. "She's fine," he said sternly. The doctor stepped away and let Finn continue. When Finn was done, he gently picked her up off of the bed and cradled her in his arms. He grabbed a loose blanket off of the bed and wrapped it tightly around her shoulders. She cried into his shoulder. Finn rocked her and told her that she was okay and safe. Quietly, he started to sing into her ear. His voice was thick with tears, but he didn't stop. Eventually, her tears slowed, but her shivering doubled. Finn realized that it wasn't from being cold, but because of fear. She pulled back and looked up at Finn.

"It hurts," she whimpered. Hearing her sound so broken shattered his heart into a thousand pieces. Very carefully, Finn raised his hand and wiped a few stray tears off of her face.

"I know it does, Rach. I'm so, so sorry." She pressed herself deeper into his chest. "But you have to let these people help you. They don't want to hurt you, your safe now, I promise. I've got you." She stared into his eyes for a minute, and then she nodded slowly. Finn looked back and gestured for the doctor to approach them. The doctor walked towards them and then addressed Rachel.

"All we want to do is give you some pain medicine. It won't make you drowsy, it'll only make you feel slightly numb. But I promise it will help." He then motioned towards Rachel's arm. With shaking hands, she cautiously stuck her arm out. The doctor softly grabbed her arm to steady it. Rachel flinched away from his touch, and Finn tightened his grip around her fragile structure. The doctor saw how uncomfortable he was making her. He withdrew his hand and motioned for one of the nurses to come over and administer the medication. The nurse smiled sweetly at Rachel and picked up her arm. Rachel seemed more relaxed. Not much, but it was an improvement. Finn could see the effect it had on Rachel almost immediately. Her muscles relaxed ever so slightly and she closed her eyes.

"Oh..." she sighed.

"We'll... leave you two alone. You can always call us if you need to." Finn nodded and turned his attention back to Rachel. She felt so small and skinny resting in his arms. As soon as the door closed behind the doctor and the nurses, she relaxed completely into Finn's embrace. He continued to hum softly into Rachel's ear.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. Rachel made a face and shook her head.

"I actually feel pretty sick right now," she answered. Finn nodded his head. The doctor had warned Finn about this. He had expressed his concern if she woke up feeling sick. Eventually, they would have to find some way of getting food into her before it caused her condition to worsen. Which meant soon. He didn't bring that up now; he didn't want to upset her.

"Can you at least try and drink some water? For me?" She sighed and nodded. Finn reached towards the table next to her bed and grabbed a cup full of water. Rachel wrapped her fingers around the cup, but Finn didn't release it. Together, they raised the glass to her lips and she took a small sip. It wasn't much, but it still gave Finn a deep sense of accomplishment. Finn rested his cheek against her head and continued to rock her soothingly.

"Where is he?" she blurted out suddenly. Even though her question was incredibly vague, Finn still knew what she was talking about.

"They don't know," he hesitated. "The guy kind of vanished." He didn't say the last part, but she guessed it anyway.

"The police want to talk to me," she stated.

Finn paused. "Are you ready to talk to them?" Finn felt Rachel bury her face into his shirt .

"I don't know," she mumbled. "I don't want to. I just don't want to... relive it, I guess." Finn nodded and continued to rock her. Finn saw her fighting against the sleep that was threatening to pull her under.

"Sleep, babe," he murmured. "I'll be here when you wake up." She sighed again and closed her eyes. She was out within seconds. Finn was still so worried about her. Mostly about her feeling sick. But for now, he tried to push his worries aside and focus on the fact that she was safe and asleep in his arms. It was so peaceful.

That peace was short lived.

**A:N/ Reviews=Love! :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**A:N/ I promise I didn't forget about you guys. I've been crazy busy which has definitely taken away from my writing time. I do, however, have several chapters ****written. They are not edited so they still need work, but they are written. Okay, well this chapter isn't terribly long. Enjoy!**

His phone buzzed in his pocket. With one arm, he reached into his pocket and saw the name flash across his , Finn placed Rachel back in her bed. She shifted slightly, but did not wake up. He pulled the blankets up to her chin and kissed her forehead before skirting out the door.

"Hey, Quinn," he answered.

"It's Santana," the voice on the other side answered. "Quinn's in the other room, but she wanted me to call you. We want to come see her. How is she?"

"She's conscious. But, Santana, I don't think visits are the best idea right now. She's still pretty messed up..."

"I get it," Santana answered. "But, we really do want to see her. Let us know when we can come down. And call us if you need anything of if there's any change, okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for calling Santana, it actually means a lot."

"Of course. Bye, Finn." The phone went dead. He turned towards the cafeteria, but was silenced by the sound of Rachel's screams pouring out of her room. He raced back in to the room followed by several nurses. He watched her thrash around in her bed for a moment before jumping into action. Finn ran to her and placed his hands on either side of her face.

"Finn! Finn help me!" she called.

"Rach, baby, wake up now. C'mon sweetie, your okay. Wake up." After a few moments, her cries turned into whimpers and her eyelids fluttered open.

"Finn?" she whispered.

"Shh... It's okay, I'm here."

"Finn..." she breathed. Finn pulled her to his chest, not caring about the nurses and doctors in the room. Rachel held on tight to Finn's shirt and sobbed into his chest. He rubbed her back and rocked her until her tears slowed. She pulled back and looked at him.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't apologize," he said almost sternly. After a few moments, Finn broke the silence.

"Why don't you try and sleep again?"

"No... I don't know..."

"I'll be right here if you need me..." Finn offered. After staring into his eyes for a moment, she nodded and snuggled deeper into his arms. She was out within seconds. This time, he did not set her back down in her bed. He watched her sleep. It made him feel good to see her look so peaceful, even if for a few moments. He kissed her forehead and wrapped a blanket from off the bed around her shoulders. Just then, Rachel's doctor entered the room. He quietly pulled the other chair over so that he was situated across from Finn.

"So, I want her to see a therapist. I'm not a therapist myself, but I think that she has ciraptophobia. Which is essentially the fear of being touched. It is, like most phobias are, treatable. Now I have one therapist I would like to try first. What do you say?" the doctor questioned. Finn thought this over for a moment.

"I think it's a great idea," he whispered, "but I don't want to make a decision for her. I will definitely talk to her about it though." The doctor nodded.

"That sounds fair. While I'm here, do you mind if I just check over her vitals?"

"No, go ahead," Finn agreed. The doctor placed two fingers to the inside of Rachel's wrist. Even though she was deeply under, she still flinched away from his touch. The doctor sighed and quietly continued his assessment. When he was finished, he wrote a few notes, nodded to Finn, and left the room. Rachel was starting to stir in Finn's arms. A few minutes later, her eyelids fluttered open. She shifted and buried her face against his shoulder. Finn laughed and greeted her warmly.

"Hi, love. Do you feel like you can eat something?" She thought about it for a moment, and nodded her head. The nurses had brought in food in hopes that she would wake up, suddenly feeling hungry. The only brought light food, though. He shifted her so that she was sitting up and leaning against him. He handed her a piece of toast. She slowly ate. Finn could tell it took a lot of effort, but he was so grateful. She only ate about half of one piece, but still, it was something. After the nurses took the food out of Rachel's room, she sighed heavily and leaned back against Finn's shoulder.

"The doctor thinks you should see a therapist," he informed her. She looked up at him calmly. She wasn't necessarily against seeing one, but...

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I think it sounds like a food idea. I mean, you don't have to keep seeing the if you don't want to... But I do think it would be good for you. I really think they could help you heal," he responded.

"I guess you're right," she conceded. A look of panic filled her eyes. "But you'll stay with me the entire time right?"

"Of course I will, sweetie," Finn stammered, surprised that she thought he could actually leave her side, even if he wanted to. She nodded and seemed to relax a bit.

"When will a therapist come?" she asked warily.

"I'm not sure. Within the next few days though."

"Didn't waste any time," she mumbled under her breath. Finn chuckled and pressed his lips against her forehead.

"Will you be okay by yourself? For like a minute? I just want to talk to your doctor for a sec..." She smiled and nodded her head. Finn placed her back in her bed, and she watched as the door closed behind him. As soon as he was gone, she felt panic start to rise in her chest, but she suppressed it. Finn found Rachel's doctor within seconds.

"I talked to her, and she thought it was a good idea too. When can this guy come?"

"I contacted him, and the soonest he can come is in three days. Is that alright?" the doctor asked.

"Absolutely," Finn answered before turning and rushing back to Rachel's room. "You okay?" he asked upon entering the room.

"I'm fine," she answered. Finn saw past her brave facade and noticed the deep circles under her eyes.

"Sleep, Rach," he whispered. She was out within a matter of seconds. She looked so peaceful. Finn decided she was deeply under enough for him to catch a few minutes of sleep. He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, with his fingers still interlaced with Rachel's.

**A:N/ So, kind of a relaxed way to end it. The next chapter should be posted either later tonight or early tomorrow. Reviews=Love!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A:N/ So, I didn't exactly follow the glee timeline here. Yes, they're still in Lima, but they have graduated. Now, here, Quinn, Santana, and Rachel are friends. I know that didn't happen until right before graduation, which means they would be in New York. But oh well. It works. Enjoy!**

Santana called again, from her phone this time.

"Listen, Finn, we're all coming down there one way or another."

Finn sighed internally. "She's sleeping right now, Santana. Now's not really a good time."

"Well when do you think she'll be up?"

"Santana I-" but then he stopped, realizing it would be absolutely pointless to argue with her on this. "Let me call you when she wakes up. But if you're all going to come down... remind everyone to just... prepare themselves, let them know how sensitive she is towards people. Tell them not to be offended, she already feels bad enough."

"I will. Thank you, Finn, really," Santana said softly. Finn nodded, knowing she couldn't see him.

"See you later." Finn said. Then the phone went dead.

Upon entering Rachel's room, he saw that she wasn't sleeping peacefully. She was thrashing around the bed and muttering things he could not understand. Her carefully removed her from her bed without waking her. Finn held her tightly against him. His very presence alone calmed her and made her feel safe, even in her unconscious state. Her breathing and heart rate slowed. She sighed contentedly and let herself relax deeper into Finn's embrace. He held her and hummed softly into her ear. He knew how much she was hurting, both on the inside and the outside. It made him hurt, too. He was trying to be strong for her, but on the inside, he felt like he was breaking, shattering. Burying his face into her hair, he let his emotions take hold of him. He cried onto her shoulder and kissed her hair. He wanted more than anything to be able to take all of her pain away. But for no, he had to help her the only way he could- by staying strong for her. He pulled away and wiped his eyes on the back of his hands.

Rachel only slept for about an hour more. When she was fully awake, Finn told her how the rest of the glee club wanted to come and see her.

"I really miss them all, I do, but... I just don't know if I'm ready for that yet, she told Finn sheepishly. Finn nodded. "Well, then let's take it slow. Maybe a few visits today, a few tomorrow..." She nodded calmly. Finn gently set her down and stepped outside to call Santana. He told her to only bring a few down at a time. She said that her, Artie, Quinn, and Kurt would come down first. Finn went back to Rachel immediately after the phone call.

They came within 20 minutes. Kurt demanded he be the first to see her. He slowly opened the door ad entered her room. He sucked in a breath when he saw her.

"Hey, Rach," he whispered.

"Kurt," she responded. Both of their eyes already began to fill with tears. He sat down and extended his hand towards her. She let out a raspy breath and and lifted her hand. Her breathing became shaky as she tried to force herself to extend her arm.

"Don't," Kurt stopped her. "I really don't want to make you uncomfortable." Rachel's eyes began to tear more heavily. It broke both of the boy's hearts to see her so distraught.

"Kurt, I... I'm sorry. I don't understand it myself, but-"

"Hey, hey... Rach, it's okay. I get it. I don't want to put you in any situation that would make you uncomfortable. Just seeing you here is enough for me. The silence that fell between them wasn't awkward. In fact, it was comforting. Comforting enough that Rachel placed her hand in his. The tears still flowed onto her cheeks. Kurt wanted nothing more than to hold her and let her cry on his shoulder. But for her, his very presence was enough. With her other hand, she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Thank you, Kurt. Really. It really means a lot to me."

"Of course, Rach. I'm really glad I came too. I can't stay for long, but I love you." He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. Rachel cringed internally at Kurt's gesture, but didn't let it show on the outside. Kurt tore his gaze away from Rachel and let his eyes rest on Finn.

"Take care of her," he said sternly. Finn nodded as Kurt left the room.

Quinn came in next. She had already prepared herself for the worst, both for Rachel's physical and mental conditions. But what happened next took her by surprise. As soon as Rachel registered that it was Quinn standing in front of her, she burst into tears and thrust her arms in Quinn's direction.

"Quinn," she whimpered. By instinct, Quinn pulled Rachel into her arms. Rachel threw her arms around Quinn's neck and held her as tight as she could, which in all honesty, wasn't that tight. Finn stood in the corner, speechless. This was the last thing he had ever expected. Rachel herself was surprised that she felt so safe around Quinn. She held Rachel and rubbed her back soothingly. Finn made a gesture to alert Quinn that he would be outside. She nodded and waved him off. Rachel let herself cry. She was so grateful for her presence right now.

This went on for about 15 minutes more before Rachel started to calm herself down. When she finally pulled away, Quinn still held on to Rachel's hands. Rachel pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and attempted to give a small smile. Quinn was the first to break the silence.

"I'm sorry, Rae... I can't even..." Quinn stopped, shaking her head. "I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am. This should have never happened." Rachel nodded and sniffed.

"I'm trying so hard not to let this break me," she responded, her voice still thick with tears. "I just don't want to let him have that victory." Hearing the way Rachel's voiced cracked shattered Quinn's heart.

"I get that. And to be honest, I sort of expected it. You are Rachel Berry after all, and Rachel Berry doesn't let people win very easily." Both Quinn and Rachel laughed lightly before Quinn's expression became more somber. "But you can't keep this bottled up inside of you. It's okay to be damaged over this." Sighing, Rachel rested her head against the back of the bed.

"I know. It's just all so frustrating. I just don't seem to have any control of my reactions. I all but wet myself when _Kurt _walked in," she said with a smile teasing the corner of her lips. Quinn smiled in return and answered.

"That'll fade. But, again, let yourself be a little beaten up over this."

Rachel nodded. "Thank you for talking to me. It feels good." Quinn nodded and hugged Rachel for a long moment before pulling away.

"I love you, Rae. If you need me, at all, call me. I don't care what time it is, just...call me." Quinn hugged her one last time before she turned and left.

Artie had received news of a family emergency and had to leave. That left Santana. Santana slowly opened the door. This was one of the few times she had ever been nervous. Finn hadn't been very specific when it came to the extent of Rachel's injuries so she wasn't exactly sure what to expect.

Rachel wasn't expecting to cry upon seeing Santana, but then again, she wasn't expecting half of the things her body had done today. Santana swiftly walked to her bedside and pulled her into a tight embrace. Something about Santana's presence made Rachel feel free to cry, really cry. Sure, she had cried plenty with Finn, and even Quinn, but this was different. This was sobbing, wailing. Something that came from deep inside. A small part of her acknowledged the fact that she looked hideous, crying like this, and that she sounded like a dying animal, but the majority of her didn't care. She knew Santana wouldn't judge her. At least not now. Santana remained silent, knowing that was probably what she needed most; she just needed someone to comfort her.

They stayed that way for a long time, but neither of them cared. Once, Finn poked his head in the room to make sure Rachel was okay, but was quickly waved off by Santana, guarding Rachel. He decided that Santana had the situation under control, and he headed towards the cafeteria for some much needed food.

When Rachel had calmed down enough to pull away, Santana wiped Rachel's eyes with the corner of the sheets. Santana's eyes only held sympathy and worry.

"I'm sorry," Rachel whimpered.

"Don't apologize, sweetheart," Santana whispered. After a few deep breaths, Rachel spoke again.

"I think I've cried more in the past 3 days than I have in my entire life."

"Let yourself have that."

"I know I should...I just hate being so weak." Santana nodded. The silence grew between them, but again, it wasn't awkward. Rachel broke it first.

"Finn won't say it outright, but I know he blames himself. I'm the one who didn't let him walk me in the house..." In the moment that she looked down, Santana saw what Rachel would never admit to anyone.

"Rachel! Why on this good earth would you blame yourself?!" Santana screeched.

"I-I didn't say that..." Rachel murmured.

Santana scoffed. "You really didn't have to! Give me one good reason why this is your fault!" Rachel covered her eyes with her hands and started to talk over Santana.

"I know, I know! The rational part of me sees the stupidity in that, but I really can't shake the though. And to be honest, I don't know why I feel like that. I know it's not my fault, I promise... I'm just so confused about everything that's happening right now," she whispered.

Santana sighed and looked Rachel straight on in the eye. "You...did nothing wrong. If you ever feel that even the smallest fraction of the blame rests on you? Well then, call me so I can come and slap the crazy right out of you," Santana said with a small smirk. Rachel laughed slightly, but then winced as her ribs protested.

"But, physically, how are you?" she asked with worry creasing her forehead.

"I don't know. I haven't really asked exactly what's wrong with me. All I know is that I hurt. A lot." Rachel replied.

"Well, I'm going to be honest, you look awful, Berry," she said only half-joking. "I'm sorry, sweetie. This should have never happened to you." Rachel nodded. "But enough with the heavy. I didn't come here today to make you relive everything. I came here to help you get your mind off of all this. Smiling, Santana pulled the Funny Girl DVD out of her bag. Rachel gasped in mock surprise as she slid over in her bed to make room for Santana. She climbed into Rachel's bed and placed the DVD into her laptop. Rachel let all of her worries slip to the back of her mind as she watched the opening credits appear upon the screen.

Finn returned about 30 minutes later. He walked in to see Rachel looking the happiest he had seen her since she first came into the hospital. In that moment, Finn was so grateful for Santana.

"Hi, love," he said, kissing Rachel's cheek.

"Hi," she said, smiling back at him. Finn sat in the chair next to Rachel's bed, grabbed her hand, and continued to watch the rest of the movie with the two girls.

Santana stayed until the end of the movie. She gave Rachel a hug and left Finn with the same parting words that Kurt had: "Take care of her." Finn nodded as Santana shut the door behind her. He then focused his attention back on Rachel.

"Are you hungry?" he asked hopefully.

"I am, actually," she answered. After she ate, sleep was almost too hard to fight. Finn laid her head gently against the pillow. He hummed softly as sleep overtook her yet again.

**Review Review Review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A:N/ Thank you all so much for your reviews! So I've had this chapter planned since before I started writing this story. Kind of a sad one :| **

**Shoutout to JazMitch who sort of guessed the theme for this chapter much earlier in the story!**

For the first time in a long time, she slept soundly. When she woke up, the rest of the glee club came to see her. All of their visits went more like Kurt's visit rather than Santana or Quinn's. Meaning not well. She didn't think she would be afraid of any of them, but every time, she was. When the last glee club member left, Finn addressed Rachel.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was actually good to see them." Finn smiled and opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped when Rachel's door creaked open. The doctor entered.

"There was a cancellation. The therapist will be here later today." He then left the room. Rachel's body immediately went stiff at Finn's side.

"Hey, hey," Finn comforted. "This will be good for you, I promise. Rachel nodded and swallowed harshly.

About 2 hours later, the therapist arrived. He was a large man. His stature alone was enough to make Rachel tremble. But then he spoke:

"Dr. Carol was unable to see you today. I'm Dr. Jenkins, I'll be beginning your therapy." His voice was deep and scratchy. Rachel pressed herself deeper into the backboard of the bed and gripped Finn's hand for dear life. Finn was so confused. But this man was a doctor. He knew what he was doing... Right? Despite his doubt, he nodded and gave Rachel a reassuring smile.

"I've been informed that your doctor guesses that you have ciraptophobia. That's something that's pretty easy to diagnose. And guessing by the way your cringing away from me, I'm pretty sure he's right." Dr. Jenkins chuckled and smiled darkly. Finn's doubt grew greatly.

"There's only one real way to work through it, and that's with regular human contact." At that, both Rachel and Finn automatically gripped each other's hands tighter. The doctor reached his hand out and grabbed Rachel's forearm. He held it tightly. She sucked in a sharp breath at his touch.

"Stop," she whispered

"You're fine," Dr. Jenkins said harshly. Before either Finn or Rachel knew it, his other hand rested harshly on her shoulder. Tears began to flood Rachel's eyes as she looked down. She started to hyperventilate.

"Please, stop!" she screeched. "Please, please, please!"

"You're fine!" he said again, obviously getting frustrated.

The sound of her cries was all it took for Finn's vision to turn red.

Before he knew what he was doing, he was standing in between Rachel and Dr. Jenkins with one hand gripping the doctor's shoulders.

"Get away from her," he growled.

"Look, if you want her to get better-"

"Get your hands off of her."

"She's fine!" the doctor yelled. "It's her own mind doing this to her! I'm helping her!"

"Does she look fine?!" Finn yelled. In a surge of adrenaline, he shoved the doctor away from her. Hearing the shuffle, one of the nurses entered the room.

"Is-is everything alright?" she asked tentatively.

"I want him out. He's terrifying her for no reason whatsoever." Finn answered roughly. The therapist turned on his heel and left. Finn quickly explained everything to the nurse and asked her to inform Rachel's doctor. The nurse apologized and left. Finn heard Rachel's soft cries behind him and his anger instantly dissipated. He pulled her into his arms and rocked her gently.

"I'm sorry, Rachel. He should never have done that." Rachel's cries intensified. Finn simply held her and kept his lips close to her ear, telling her over and over again that he was never going to let anyone hurt her again. After a while, her cries turned to whimpers, but her fear did not fade. She started shivering even in Finn's warm embrace.

"Thank you," she squeaked.

"For what?" Finn asked, confused.

"You protected me."

"Do you really believe I could stand by and watch someone hurt you?"

"No. But I still appreciate it."

"Rachel, it's my job to protect you. I love you. I'm never going to let anyone lay a hand on you." She nodded and snuggled deeper into his arms. After awhile, she drifted off into unconsciousness. While Rachel was asleep, her doctor returned. He apologized to Finn repeatedly. He also told Finn that a new therapist whom his daughter had worked with personally would be coming by tomorrow. Finn thanked him. After the doctor left, he leaned his head back against the wall and fell asleep with Rachel still sleeping contentedly in his arms.

**A:N/ Sorry it's so short! I have much time on my hands, so the next chapter should be up soon :)**


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning, Rachel was still pretty shaken up over the encounter the day before. Finn did all he could to comfort her and make her feel safe. Finn had alerted Santana and Quinn of the torment Rachel had been through. Both of them were more than willing to come down, but Finn protested. He promised them that if she got any worse, at all, he would alert them at once. Rachel had never felt more desperate to keep Finn by her side. It had only become harder for the doctors to care for Rachel. She had only become more timid.

Later that day, Rachel was situated on Finn's lap. Their foreheads resting against each other. Finn was softly whispering words of comfort to Rachel, when there was a small knock on the door. A kind looking woman poked her head in before entering the room. She wasn't much taller than Rachel, and she appeared to be around 30. Her eyes had a certain warmth to them that matched the glow of her gentle smile. She introduced herself as Dr. Stevens, Rachel's new therapist.

"Hi Rachel. How are you today?" she said gently.

"F-fine," she said tentatively.

"Your doctor informed me of your...previous experience. I'm terribly sorry for that. I just want to talk to you today, alright? I'm not going to hurt you, I promise," she said with a sympathetic smile. Rachel nodded. "Do you mind if your boyfriend steps outside for a moment?" She saw the panic flash through Rachel's eyes, but Finn addressed it before she could.

"You'll be fine, Rachel. And I'll be right outside the door if you need me. I won't leave," he whispered in Rachel's ear. She stared into his eyes for a moment before nodding. He placed Rachel back in her bed and made sure she was resting comfortably before leaving. He nodded towards the therapist before quietly shutting the door behind him. Dr. Stevens sat where Finn was sitting.

"Rachel, I just want you to know that your safe. No one here wants to hurt you. We all want to help you and take care of you, okay? What happened to you was wrong and shouldn't have happened. I know you've probably heard that over and over again, but it's true. Now today, I just want to talk to you. Or more listen to you. Is there anything you want to talk about today? I won't pressure you if there isn't..."

"I-I don't think so..." Rachel believed that this woman wouldn't hurt her, but she didn't trust her enough yet to just spill her guts.

"That was sort of an open ended question, wasn't it? Here, I'll make this easier... When you see someone, do you automatically feel afraid of them?"

"Well...it sort of depends. If it's someone I don't know then, yes. But if it's someone I do know, I don't feel afraid but I end up...being afraid. It's something I don't really expect. But I was fine around my friends Santana and Quinn."

"Hm... What do you feel when your by yourself Rachel?"

"Scared, panicky, alone, small, broken..."

"What about when you're with your boyfriend?"

She thought about this one for awhile. "Safe."

"How are you feeling right now?"

"Um, nervous. But not as nervous as I thought I would be."

"Are you intimidated by me?" Dr. Stevens said. Rachel shook her head.

"I'm not particularly comfortable right now, but no, I'm not...afraid."

"Are you angry with your kidnapper?" That one took Rachel back. She had tried her hardest not to think of him. Was she angry? She hadn't even thought about that. She was terrified, yes, but angry? That wasn't one of the many emotions she felt when she thought of her kidnapper.

"No... At least I don't think I am." The therapist nodded.

"This may be hard for you, and if you feel uncomfortable, don't do it, but I want you to really try. I'm not going to hurt you, okay?" Rachel nodded slowly, confused. The therapist extended her arm slightly. Rachel got it then. "Try to take my hand. It's alright, I won't hurt you." Rachel let out a shaky breath. _Do it, Rachel. C'mon, do it!_ she thought to herself. She forced herself to place her hand in the doctor's. She held her breath all the while.

"Good girl. I won't make you do this for long. But thank you. I'm really proud of you for doing that right now. I know it may seem like something small and insignificant, but I understand how hard that was for you." She sighed. "I'm glad I got to see you today. I'll be back in 2 days alright? I believe you should be discharged by then, and, depending on your condition, I'll either meet with you at my office or at your home."

"Thank you," Rachel whispered. The doctor nodded and left the room. She then turned to Finn.

"She did great. I didn't get much out of her, but still, some is better than nothing. Please let me know where I should meet with her. You can contact me here." Finn nodded and thanked the small woman profusely. She smiled sweetly and left. Rachel looked remarkably calm when Finn reentered. She gave him a small smile.

They spent the rest of the day talking. Not necessarily about painful things, just about each other. They talked about things they had never had reason to talk about before. Both of them laid on her bed, hands intertwined, talking until late that night. Rachel talked about her deep, unearthed feelings she had towards her mother, and Finn towards his father. And then they talked about much lighter things. Favorites, that they didn't know about each other. Movies, music, everything. Rachel let everything slip from her mind. She let Finn's comforting presence slip over her in a blanket of warmth. With him, she felt safe. The way he ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her forehead reminded her just how much he loved her. Finn could see it too. He saw it in her eyes when she looked at him. He knew she loved him; he believed it with every fiber of his being. They were soul mates.

They had always loved each other, but, in this moment, it was clear to both of them now.

**A:N/ Please review! Again, thank you all for the lovely reviews you have already sent in! They mean so, so much to me! I love you all! :) Also! I like to work on one story at a time to remain completely dedicated to it, but I was thinking of starting another. I don't know if it would be a one-shot or a multi-chapter. I have a few ideas, but I would love to hear yours! Let me know!**


	15. Author's Note

**Okay, I really hate it when author's do this to me, but it's something I really wanted to share this with you guys. If you haven't already heard, Cory Monteith admitted himself into rehab for "substance abuse." Lea and the entire cast along with RIB are standing by and supporting him throughout this entire battle. Now Cory ADMITTED HIMSELF. This was his choice. He recognized that he needed help and took action. I would like to as you all to keep him in your thoughts tonight. And when your laying in your bed tonight, please keep him in your prayers. #WeSupportCory**

**Next chapter should be up tomorrow:) Love you all.**


	16. Chapter 15

**A:N/ I didn't forget about you guys. I swear. This chapter really hated me. I must have re-wrote it about twelve times. ANYWAY. Its short, but here. Unfortunately, this is the last chapter before the epilogue! :( I enjoyed writing this so much! This will definitely not be my last fanfic :) READ ON!**

The doctor came in with Rachel's discharge papers 3 days later. It was a bittersweet moment for the doctor, as he had grown quite fond of her. But for her sake, he hoped he never saw her again. Finn filled out all of the paperwork and signed what needed to be signed. After the doctor came and gave her the final all-clear, Finn helped Rachel into a wheelchair. That was no small order, thanks to the large, bulky cast on her delicate leg. She was nervous, but not nearly as much as Finn was for her. Therapy was helping her, but she was still terrified of the world. Every time she had a breakdown, it crushed his heart. He wasn't completely sure she was ready to face the world and all it had to offer. Finn pushed those thoughts out of his head and focused on the now. And now, she was fine, and that made Finn happy.

Once arriving at their small apartment, Finn helped Rachel back into the chair and wheeled her in. Her appetite had returned, but she was still far too skinny. He left her to clean herself up a bit. Finn retreated to the kitchen to make her some real food for a change. She wheeled herself in just as Finn was placing eggs on her plate. The scent was almost too much for Rachel, it made her mouth water. Finn smiled at her and placed the plate on the table before pushing her over to the table. By the time she was done, she could barely keep her eyes open. Finn laughed quietly to himself and scooped her up in his arms.

"No," she stopped him. "I've slept enough already. Let's just watch TV in the living room for a little bit."

"Rach-" Finn started

"-Please," she interrupted. "For me. I'm fine, I promise." Finn mulled it over for a moment before begrudgingly agreeing. He carried her into the living room and set her down on the couch before going and retrieving the remote. He sat down next to her, and Rachel leaned her head against Finn's shoulder. She let her mind drift away from all that had befallen her within the last two weeks. Finn drew small circles on the back of her hand with his fingers. He turned to look at her.

"I missed you," he told her. "I really did." Rachel lost herself in his eyes for a moment.

"I missed you too," she informed him. "So much." Finn ran his fingers across Rachel's cheekbone and tucked one of her loose curls behind her ear before pressing his lips gently to her forehead.

The rest of their evening went very much the same way. Santana and Quinn both stopped by. They didn't stay for long, but Rachel was touched that they took time out of their very much busy schedules just to see her. She hadn't been feeling very important lately, and seeing Santana and Quinn reminded her that she was loved. Finn made dinner for both him and her. Finn continued to watch her face for any signs of stress or pain throughout the night, but she was fine. She felt safe with him and nothing would ever change that. The normality between them had been all but nonexistent since she returned. Rachel had missed that, and it felt so good to have that back. Rachel turned her hand up, and Finn intertwined their fingers. He knew the road to recovery wouldn't be easy for her. He knew it would be long and painful and tiring. But he loved her too much to ever let her face it alone.

**A:N2/ The epilouge is written, it just has to be typed up and edited one final time. Should be up no later than Friday. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	17. Epilogue

**A:N/ So, I turned out to be a lot more bored than I thought I was. So, here is the final chapter! This chapter is nowhere near long, but it wasn't meant to be. It's just to give this story some closure. Well, I love you all very much, and I thank you all for your continued support. Please, please, PLEASE read my other stories that I will be posting within the next few days (/weeks)! Thank you so much!**

**_-1 year later- _**

Rachel's heart pounded in her chest. She could feel his eyes burning into the back of her head. Forcing her mind away from him, she looked over at Finn, who held one of her hands securely in both of his. He moved one of his hands to her back and traced small circles.

"Hey. It's okay," he said in an attempt to comfort her.

"He's staring," she replied. She could feel her chest tighten with panic and her breaths shorten. They had been waiting in the courtroom for over an hour to hear the jury's decision on the fate of Rachel's kidnapper. Finn tossed his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer to his side.

After what seemed like an eternity, the jury returned. A woman approached the stand and adjusted the microphone. Finn gripped Rachel's hand tighter and both of them shifted uncomfortably in their seats. The entire room fell quiet.

"We the jury, have heard the cases of both Miss Rachel Barbra Berry and Mr. Kyle Timothy Rayburn. The prosecution would like Mr. Rayburn to be held accountable on an account of kidnapping, assault, and attempted murder. We the jury proclaim Mr. Rayburn guilty on all three accounts. Mr. Rayburn will be sentenced to eighteen years in prison as well as the fines for any and all of Miss Berry's medical bills that came from this incident." As the woman returned to her seat, Rachel, Finn, and the rest of the crowd let out a collective breath they had all been holding. Finn pulled Rachel into his arms and she broke down. It was really over.

"It's over. He's gone," he whispered in her ear. She felt a small hand rest upon her shoulder. Turning, she saw Santana standing behind her offering her a small smile. Rachel wrapped her arms around Santana, and, surprisingly, found herself smiling back. Turning back to Finn, she saw him smiling down at her. He grabbed her hand and led her out of the courtroom with the rest of the glee club following behind them. They had all come to support her today. Once outside, each of them hugged her individually. Her tears eventually slowed. It was finally starting to sink in that this was really behind her. With a small smile, she turned to all of them.

"Thank you. All of you. I wouldn't have made it through this on my own. I love you guys." They all pulled her into a group hug and she laughed into their embrace. It was over. She was safe.

**A:N2/ I love you all like Rachel loves Finn :) Please review! Ta ta for now!**


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